Bridgestone Weather Control A005 review
The Bridgestone Weather Control A005 is widely praised for its exceptional wet-weather grip and confident handling in temperate, rainy climates. However, user consensus is heavily polarized by significant reports of premature tread wear, durability issues such as rubber peeling or 'shards' detaching, and inconsistent performance in deep snow or icy conditions.
Owners rate it 18.4 points lower than the instrumented road tests do — see the two score breakdowns below for where they disagree.
Two scoring systems, side by side
Owner scores come from reviews on retailer and review sites; road-test scores come from instrumented tests. Where they disagree, it is usually a discipline owners rarely push to the limit.
By owner reviews
68%By road tests
86.4%What owners like and dislike
Themes extracted from 80 owner reviews across retailers and review sites.
The Bridgestone Weather Control A005 is widely praised for its exceptional wet-weather grip and confident handling in temperate, rainy climates. However, user consensus is heavily polarized by significant reports of premature tread wear, durability issues such as rubber peeling or 'shards' detaching, and inconsistent performance in deep snow or icy conditions.
Pros
- Class-leading wet weather grip and aquaplaning resistance
- Strong dry road handling and steering precision
- High levels of ride comfort and low noise levels when new
- Effective performance in cold, damp, and light winter conditions
Cons
- Rapid and premature tread wear, often failing before 15,000 miles
- Structural durability issues including rubber peeling, cracking, and 'sawtoothing'
- Poor performance in heavy snow and ice compared to dedicated winter tires
- Increased road noise as the tire ages
Worth knowing
- Users with higher-powered or heavier vehicles (e.g., BMW M140, C350) frequently report difficulty maintaining traction and accelerated wear.
- Drivers using XL (Extra Load) rated tires often report a harsh, 'bone-shaking' ride quality on uneven surfaces.
- Some users noted that the tire's performance is better suited to lighter, lower-powered vehicles rather than performance-oriented or heavy-duty models.
12 published test appearances
Placement within each field. Open a test for the discipline-by-discipline result.
2022 Sport Auto All Season tire Test · 235/35 R19
4th of 7
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|---|---|
| Wet Braking | 3rd of 7 | |
| Wet Handling | 5th of 7 | |
| Dry Braking | 2nd of 7 | |
| Dry Handling | 2nd of 7 | |
| Snow Braking | 5th of 7 | |
| Snow Handling | 5th of 7 | |
| Rolling Resistance | 3rd of 7 | |
| Straight Aqua | 7th of 7 | |
| Noise | 5th of 7 | |
| Price | 2nd of 7 | |
| Snow Slalom | 6th of 7 |
2020 Sport Auto All Season tire Test · 225/45 R18
1st of 7
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|---|---|
| Wet Braking | 1st of 7 | |
| Wet Handling | 3rd of 7 | |
| Dry Braking | 2nd of 7 | |
| Dry Handling | 1st of 7 | |
| Snow Braking | 4th of 7 | |
| Snow Handling | 7th of 7 | |
| Rolling Resistance | 3rd of 7 | |
| Straight Aqua | 6th of 7 | |
| Noise | 2nd of 7 |
2020 Tyre Reviews All Season tire Test · 225/45 R17
4th of 9
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|---|---|
| Wet Handling | 1st of 9 | |
| Dry Handling | 4th of 9 | |
| Snow Braking | 7th of 9 | |
| Snow Traction | 7th of 9 | |
| Snow Handling | 8th of 9 | |
| Rolling Resistance | 2nd of 9 | |
| Straight Aqua | 7th of 9 | |
| Curved Aquaplaning | 6th of 9 | |
| Subj. Dry Handling | 6th of 9 | |
| Subj. Comfort | 1st of 9 | |
| Subj. Wet Handling | 3rd of 9 | |
| Noise | 3rd of 9 | |
| Price | 5th of 9 | |
| Rough Noise | 2nd of 9 | |
| Subj. Snow Handling | 8th of 9 |
2020 ADAC SUV All Season tire Test · 235/55 R17
7th of 7
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|---|---|
| Wet Braking | 1st of 7 | |
| Dry Braking | 2nd of 7 | |
| Snow Braking | 6th of 7 | |
| Ice Braking | 3rd of 7 |
2019 Auto Bild 4x4 All Season tire Test · 235/65 R17
1st of 10
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|---|---|
| Wet Braking | 1st of 10 | |
| Wet Handling | 1st of 10 | |
| Dry Braking | 2nd of 10 | |
| Dry Handling | 2nd of 10 | |
| Snow Braking | 7th of 10 | |
| Snow Traction | 4th of 10 | |
| Snow Handling | 4th of 10 | |
| Rolling Resistance | 2nd of 10 | |
| Straight Aqua | 3rd of 10 | |
| Noise | 3rd of 10 | |
| Price | 7th of 10 |
2019 Auto Bild All Season tire Test · 225/45 R17
9th of 10
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|---|---|
| Wet Braking | 1st of 10 | |
| Wet Handling | 5th of 10 | |
| Dry Braking | 2nd of 10 | |
| Dry Handling | 5th of 10 | |
| Snow Braking | 10th of 10 | |
| Snow Handling | 10th of 10 | |
| Rolling Resistance | 1st of 10 | |
| Straight Aqua | 5th of 10 | |
| Noise | 9th of 10 | |
| Value | 10th of 10 | |
| Price | 7th of 10 | |
| Wear | 10th of 10 | |
| Total Cost of Ownership | 5th of 10 |
2019 ACE GTU All Season tire Test · 205/60 R16
7th of 8
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|
2019 Auto Express All Season tire Test · 205/55 R16
6th of 11
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|
2019 All Season tire Performance Overview · 225/45 R17
1st of 31
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|---|---|
| Wet Braking | 1st of 31 | |
| Dry Braking | 2nd of 31 |
2019 Summer and All Season tire Test · 205/55 R16
8th of 15
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|---|---|
| Wet Braking | 7th of 15 | |
| Wet Handling | 2nd of 15 | |
| Dry Braking | 5th of 15 | |
| Dry Handling | 5th of 15 | |
| Noise | 8th of 15 |
2018 Auto Bild All Season tire Test · 195/65 R15
10th of 10
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|---|---|
| Wet Braking | 1st of 10 | |
| Wet Handling | 2nd of 10 | |
| Dry Braking | 1st of 10 | |
| Dry Handling | 1st of 10 | |
| Snow Braking | 10th of 10 | |
| Snow Handling | 10th of 10 | |
| Rolling Resistance | 3rd of 10 | |
| Straight Aqua | 6th of 10 | |
| Noise | 10th of 10 | |
| Value | 7th of 10 | |
| Price | 7th of 10 | |
| Wear | 7th of 10 | |
| Total Cost of Ownership | 6th of 10 |
2018 27 All Season tire Shootout · 195/65 R15
1st of 27
| Discipline | Placement | Field position |
|---|